Experience Tuscaloosa

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From updating a wardrobe to enhancing a home's ambiance, the area offers stores and boutiques to satisfy every shopper's whim. When the need to relax and refresh strikes, our restaurants and spas are welcoming.

The great retail marketplace in Tuscaloosa County is growing. With three large shopping malls, including the brand-new Midtown Village, 50 or so smaller malls located around the county, two downtown areas (Tuscaloosa and Northport) undergoing revitalization, and specialized shops scattered all around, shopping in Tuscaloosa County draws from all of West Alabama. Retail sales perennially top the $2 billion mark, and expectations are that sales will grow steady in the years ahead.

With a growing populace plus increased buying income, the Tuscaloosa area has continued to experience economic growth over the last decade. Tuscaloosa is the 5th largest city in Alabama with a population of over 89,000 and has grown so much in the last few years that it ranks 2nd among Alabama cities in overall population growth. Plus, there are 20,000 UA college students, 178,000 county residents, over 430,000 residents in the retail trade area and a steady flow of tourists who average spending $125 per day, in addition to hotel and travel expenses.

Developers are seizing opportunities to build new retail sites and expand existing ones. Growth along U.S. Highway 69 south toward Moundville has spurted in the last few years and continues at a brisk pace. Growth east and north of Tuscaloosa is dramatic.

The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama has made retail development a high priority in its strategic programming. Both Tuscaloosa and Northport are developing plans for their riverfront areas, and some of that usage is expected to be retail establishments.